Irreplaceable
by Selene O'Kiku
Summary: Alternate Universe. Alex escapes New York after the infection, going to Las Vegas to start a new life. Instead he finds the one person that makes him feel human again. Mature for themes such as rape, prostitution, and Yaoi/ Boy's Love.
1. Chapter 1

It had been almost a year since Alex had fled from Manhattan after the infection had been taken care of. Being demonized by the press didn't help him with Blackwatch still trying to kill him; so he had decided to skip town to keep his sister safe from them. After Dana had awaken from her coma, they had tried to live like normal people. But every time they found a nice place to settle down, Blackwatch soldiers would come in and destroy everything in an attempt to kill him. To him, it didn't seem fair for his little sister to suffer on account of him being a wanted terrorist.

Taking a _very_ long walk, he ended up staying in Las Vegas; the one place no one would think of looking for him. He didn't have anything to his name when he died, and he still had most of it left. Now he was living on the same streets that he had first arrived at.

Alex walked thru the backstreets of the Vegas strip as the sun set after another failed attempt at getting a job, this time as a waitress. He had taken the form of a woman he had consumed during his time in New York, but they had told him that they needed someone with more _feminine_ qualities. Morphing back to his original form, he began muttering under his breath,

"Feminine my ass, fuckin' pricks. I should have killed them when I had the chance..." Alex continued to walk, heading toward his makeshift safe-house; an old abandoned building that had been marked for demolition, but wouldn't be destroyed for a few more months.

As Alex turned a corner, he felt something collide with him at full speed, making him take a step back. Slightly surprised, he looked down and found what had hit him; more like who. On the pavement sat a young man with short brown hair, stunning hazel eyes and lightly tanned skin, rubbing his head as his cheeks became flushed.

"Ow! What the hell did I run into? A fucking wall?" the man muttered before he hastily got up and looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide with fear. That's when Alex finally realized what the other was wearing; a black corset with matching booty shorts and flats.

"Hey...why are you wearin-" Alex managed to get out before he was forcibly kissed and pushed against the wall behind him. He was stunned, his eyes wide and questioning as the other man continued to kiss him, while guiding Alex's hands to rest on his rather skinny hips. Alex gasped when he felt hands grope his ass, giving the other's tongue admittance to explore his mouth. Alex's eyes slid shut as his tongue fought for dominance with the other, pulling the other flush against him.

That's when he felt someone rip his hands away and forcibly remove the warm body from in front of him. Opening his eyes, he panted as he watched the scantily clad young man being dragged away by a rather buff man in a suit.

"HEY! What was that for?" Alex called after them, his face red and body hot. The young man looked at him, his face and tone sarcastic, but his eyes told a different story.

"I'm sorry hot stuff, but it looks like I can't give out free-bees!" he called back, fighting against the meaty hand on his arm only to be viciously shaken.

"Bitch! You know you aren't suppose to work if you ain't earning money!" the suit hissed, throwing the man forward and watching him fall on his hands and knees.

"YOU! Stop doing that!" Alex shouted, walking up to the guard with the intent of hurting him. The guard quickly pulled out a pistol, ready to shoot if the hooded man started something. Alex pulled back his arm about to turn it into his sword when a hand on his chest stopped him.

"Stop! ...Come on, handsome, next time you want me, all you gotta do is pay! Like the gorilla said, I've gotta make a living. But..." the brunette pulled Alex in for a kiss, only to plant it on his cheek. Before he was jerked away, he managed to whisper in Alex's ear, _check your back-pocket._

"My name's Desmond, by the way. Be sure to look me up if you're ever at _Abstergo!"_ Desmond called as he was pulled away, the guard yelling at him.

"Now you're gonna get it, bitch! The boss ain't happy about you running away. It's the third time this week! He's gonna make you work _overtime_ for this, plus he might beat that pretty little face of yours!"

"Shut up, you steroid pumping dickhead! I'll be sure to tell him you damaged the merchandise! See? Now my hands and knees are raw! How am I suppose to work like this?"

Alex watched them argue until they turned the corner and were out of sight. As soon as he was sure he was alone, he jumped onto the rooftops and made his way to the safe-house, running and gliding until he was safely inside. Reaching into his back pocket, he was surprised to find a crumpled piece of paper. Opening it, he realized why this Desmond had that look of fear in his eyes,

_SAVE ME. _

_Please. Help me. SAVE ME. Please, anything but this..._

The pain was intense; his insides felt stretched and wet, he guessed that he was bleeding again. All he could tell was that the man above him was almost done. All he could do was grit his teeth and hope that he wasn't sobbing to loudly again. He gasped as the warm essence filled him, stinging his burning entrance and making him call out in pain. Tears ran down his face as he was dealt with; his broken form dumped on the floor of one of the backrooms of the club, his client content and paying the guard that stood outside the door. As the man left, some "waitresses" rushed into the room to help and begin clean-up. A blonde, her hair up in a stylish bun, hurriedly kneeled next to the fallen figure, her thin fingers running thru his sweaty hair.

"Des? Desmond, are you alright?" she asked, another woman handing her a towel. Desmond looked up groggily, his body weak and covered in bite marks.

"I-I'm fine, Lucy." he said as he struggled to get up. He shivered when he felt something slimy leak out of his abused hole, quickly reaching for the offered towel to clean himself with. Lucy looked on, worried,

"Des, are you sure? I mean, this is the fifth guy you've "serviced" tonight! What did you do to make Vidic treat you like this?" Desmond looked at her thru his tears, a tired smile on his lips.

"I tried to run."

Lucy looked at him like he was insane.

"What in god's name made you think it was a good idea to try and run again? Vidic's going to kill you!" she hissed at him, her hands holding his face. He gently removed her hands, speaking softly,

"I found someone this time. I gave him a note, and told him where to find me."

"Desmond...You know that's not gonna work! Vidic's got almost every cop in the district on his payroll. Even if he was able to find out about this, the cops won't do a damn thing, and he might end up dead!" she whispered as she helped him ease back into his shorts and corset. Desmond looked down at his feet, feeling new tears sliding down his face; he knew she was right. But he wanted nothing more than to leave this place and never come back.

"I know, Lucy...but Vidic never treats you like me. Clients like _pretty_ girls, hence he doesn't leave a mark on you. They could care less what my condition is when they get their hands on me..." he sobbed quietly, his hand running over the scars that were spread over his chest and lower torso. Lucy quickly gathered him into her arms and gave him a firm hug, before she was shooed out of the room by a guard as another client stepped in and looked at Desmond with hungry eyes.

As Desmond layed back, his mind wandered to the man he had met; the thought of his piercing blue eyes and pale skin was enough to help his mind ignore what his body was suffering. His eyes watered again as he wondered if giving that man the note was actually a good idea; maybe instead of finding help, he had just killed an innocent man. The thought made him sob, tears running with more force down his already red cheeks as he gasped at the bulging mass being shoved into his sore and painful insides.

"Please..." he gasped, mind starting to shutdown as his body became limp under the stress of continual rape. As his world became dark, all he could think of was the blue eyes of the man that he hoped would be his savior.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex sat on the edge of his matress as moonlight filtered thru the only window; staring at the note in his hand as his mind wandered. He didn't know why, but he had this strange impulse to save this man; this Desmond. Maybe it was the way his eyes shined with desperation, or the way they had kissed. His face began to burn at the memory, something that hadn't happened since he had become ZEUS. Something about Desmond somehow brought out his human side, along with his carnal desires. But the thing that really had him was the way he had looked at him as the guard dragged him away. Desmond was i_pleading/i_ to be saved; he had done what he had thought necessary to get his attention. And now...he felt compelled to help him.

At any rate, if he was gonna help him, Alex would need to find where this _Abstergo_ was located. And that meant one thing...he would have to hunt. His eyes shined an eerie silver as a demonic smile crept onto his pale face; eventhough he hated to hunt innocent people, he had no choice. Something inside of him stirred, a voice that whispered death and destruction to him like a predator baiting its prey. His inner hunter was raving to be set loose; and who was he to deny it?

"...es? Desmond?"

"He's unconscious. I think he's learned his lesson, don't you think? NO ONE escapes me. You may help him Ms. Stillman, but do not think he will be on leave because of his injuries. He will be expected to serve tomorrow night."

Desmond whimpered quietly as his back refused to cooperate with him; the pain was so great he wished that he was dead as his eyes teared up again. He felt slender fingers tilt his chin back and shove something into his mouth. He swallowed out of habit, but the bitter taste that lingered on his tongue told him that he was just given painkillers; and soon the pain had dumbed down to a dull throb. He felt rough hands grab him, then a voice,

"Take him to his room. He needs his rest if he intends to work tomorrow. Make sure there's a guard at his door at all times, along with a new passcode for the lock. We wouldn't want him to get any ideas."

As he was thrown over a guard's shoulder, Desmond barely registered the hand that careesed his cheek; the hand of the man that had bought him years ago. With his eyes bleary and swollen from crying, he could only just make out the change in his vision; everything turned gray, except for many figures that stood in the room. One glowed a peaceful blue, while the others glowed a dangerous red. Yet one stood out; the man he despised so much glowed an infuriating shade of gold, something that had Desmond thinking about how he wished to kill that miserable piece of shit. Even if it was the last thing he ever did.

Carnage. Pools of blood; screaming men trying to flee.

No. Nothing escaped him.

Moonlight gleamed off the edge of his blade arm; reflecting the light and horrified expressions of the guards as he consumed them one by one. Each time he would learn more and more about what kind of shit this Desmond was in; the clearer things got, the more urgent the need to get him out.

Consuming the last man with little more than a flick of his wrist, he shook the blood from his clothes, then made his way away from the area before any of the guards were missed. He didn't want to attract the police let alone Blackwatch; especially if he was going to help Desmond. Running up the side of a nearby building, he looked around to gather his bearings; from what he now knew, this _Abstergo_ was to the northern edge of the Vegas strip, a club between the Sahara and the Las Vegas Hilton.

"Alright. Its about time I go check this club out." Alex muttered to no one in particular, a light breeze cooling him as it blew thru his curly hair and slid his hood off. His eyes glowed like ice as the bright lights of the strip flickered before them; a yellow sheen appearing on what little pale skin was exposed. Flicking his hood back on, he dropped 50 stories from his perch and landed with little more than a crater marking he had been there; he mentally kicked himself for leaving it, but there was nothing he could do.

Looking at the sky, he realized it was already begining to dawn and he knew the club only opened at night. So he would wait for his opportunity tonight; but for now, he would case the place and find an easy way in. He smiled to himself, for some reason he couldn't help but feel excited to see him again, and his tightening pants was proof. Re-adjusting his jeans around his half-hard manhood, he licked his lips as he began running thru the streets; purposely knocking over anyone unfortunate enough to get in his path.


	3. Chapter 3

_Damnit...FUCK!_

The slender figure fought against the doorknob, his knuckles turning white from the strain and his breath coming in short ragged pants. He jiggled and pulled, but the knob stayed put, not budging an inch. He kicked the door in frustration before sinking to the floor, his face in his hands as he sighed in defeat.

"Damn it all to hell! They changed the pass-codes! How the FUCK am I gonna get out now?" he hissed, the mild throb in his backside making him cringe as he squirmed on the cold tiles. He felt the familiar prickling in his eyes as the desperation filled him, driving him to stand and throw the closest thing he could. Before he realized it, he had thrown the only chair in the room at the barred window, shattering the glass and destroying the chair. A heavy pounding on the door made him jump,

"HEY! The hell did you do, slut? You better not be trying to off yourself, cuz the boss gave me the option to beat the crap out of you if you tried anything!" The guard shouted thru the locked door. Desmond flinched at the threat, but he realized he didn't care.

"Shut the fuck up, you overpriced rent-a-cop! You and I both know you can't come in here cuz I'll trick your stupid ass and get the fuck out! So mind your own damn business and leave me the fuck alone!" he spit back, his body shaking from frustration as tears dripped off his chin. Looking at the pile of shattered glass that shimmered under the early rays of the sun, he thought about what the guard had said, and the idea was getting very tempting. Dropping to the floor, Desmond crawled on hands and knees toward the shiny material, eyes reflecting the light almost hungrily. Gently picking up a large shard, he thought about driving it into his wrist; of course it would hurt, but maybe this was ultimately the only way for him to escape.

_This could be my only chance...It'd be simple, just a few deep cuts going up my arm and then...freedom. No more Vidic, no more clients, no more...anything. Just sweet relief from this hell..._

Slowly, he raised the shard to his wrist; hands shaking as he prepared to drag the jagged edge thru skin and muscle, eyes closed in concentration as he gathered his courage. Just as the glass was about to make contact, a familiar voice snapped him out of it; the shard dropping from his hand and shattering on the floor.

_L-Lucy? Why is she...wait, this is her room too..._

Desmond slowly registered his surroundings; he'd been too caught up in his own head to realize the plain bunk beds that stood to one wall and the simple cabinet/desk set that was now missing its chair. All that against the brilliant white walls reminded him of an eerily clean prison cell, or a room in a mental hospital.

"Let me in, you asshole! Its my room too!" Lucy yelled, her voice carrying thru the sliding metal door. Desmond stood shakily, his eyes drifting from the glass to the door as he stumbled towards it. Hesitantly, he knocked on it before he called out,

"L-Lucy?"

"Des? Desmond, honey, are you alright? Did this fucker hurt you at all?" she asked, but the questions were left hanging as she was roughly escorted away.

"HEY! What the hell do you think you're doing? Let me talk to him!" she shouted.

"No can do, Ms. Stillman. The boss ordered that you can't talk to him at all for the rest of the day, no matter what. I'm gonna have to take you to another room." the guard said politely, then dragged her away from the door as Desmond began shouting thru it.

"Lucy? LUCY! DON'T GO PLEASE! Please..." he pleaded to the now empty hallway. He then slid down to the floor again, his face in his hands as he cried a bit harder than before. Sniffling, he made his way to the now shattered window, careful not to step on any glass, and began pulling on the bars at a lame attempt at escape. He let out a yelp as the bars gave way, and he tumbled to the floor with them in his hands.

"How'd...?I must be stronger than I look..." he muttered as he got up. Looking at the hole, he realized it was both too small and too high for him to crawl thru, but big enough for him to get thru if he vaulted. He frowned,

"Vaulting? Where'd that come from? But maybe..." Biting his lip, he began to re-arrange the furniture until he had a series of hurtles that he could jump off of; then he noticed that he wouldn't get far in the clothes he was wearing. Searching thru the drawers, he picked out the last _not_ hookerish clothes he had left; ripping off the corset and shorts, he slipped on a black shirt with an eagle printed on it and a pair of skinny jeans, then a white hoody and sneakers. Taking a deep breath, and using strength and agility he didn't know he had, he sprinted and jumped; spinning thru the window like an experienced gymnast. What he didn't expect was the ground to be farther down than he thought; he crashed loudly into a large pile of wooden crates and trashcans, a crack and scream resonating from the debris.

"GODFUCKINGDAMNIT!" he hissed thru clenched teeth as he shoved the planks off of himself, crying out as a jolt of pain shot thru him when he tried to stand; he figured he had broken his left ankle, he bit his lip so hard he drew blood from the pain. Thankfully, that was the only serious injury that he knew of, other than a few minor cuts and bruises. Swallowing his sobs, he quickly took a look around; finding no bouncers, he slowly limped his way down the alley.

In his haste, he didn't notice the shadow that passed over him; on the rooftop stood a pale blue-eyed male, watching intently as his prize fled from the club.

"So, he's more resourceful than I expected...and looks pretty damn good in jeans." Alex muttered as he watched Desmond hobble down the alley, expertly avoiding anyone that crossed his path. Sighing deeply he dropped from the roof, sliding down the wall to silence his landing. Stalking toward the debris, he picked up a splintered piece of wood that had a small pool of crimson on its surface, then quickly dragged a finger thru the red and brought it to his lips. Placing it in his mouth, he tasted the blood; a few scattered memories flew past his mind's eye, they looked recent.

He felt a hot lump grow in his chest as he witnessed the rape of the man he intended to save; the abuse he had endured, both physical and emotional, and the lump grew hotter, the rage growing. Gritting his teeth, he huffed before throwing the wood back into the pile and crouching as he gathered his biomass. Flying straight up, he landed on his feet on the roof 12 stories above and began jumping and running after his prize, eyes flashing with ire.

If anyone got in his way, he'll make them pay...if it meant strangling them with their own intestines, all the better. He chuckled darkly at the thought, a demonic grin spreading on his lips as his arms quivered and sprouted wiggling tendrils. Soon, he'd have his way.


	4. Chapter 4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 4

The pain was horrifyingly intense; it felt like being cut open with a rusty knife during an operation without anesthesia; it just fucking hurt. The more he moved the worse it felt, he had to bite his sleeve every few minutes to avoid screaming like a little girl and alerting the bouncers. He sure as hell wasn't going back to Abstergo with a broken ankle, that would just mean other things would get broken. If it wasn't his face, it'd be a rib or an arm and then no medicine except for horse tranquilizers or drugs; he wasn't gonna be forced down that road, no matter how painful it'll be otherwise.

Limping into a secluded side street, Desmond took a few deep breaths thru clenched teeth as his eyes watered; he rubbed at his ankle to try and quell the swelling, but every nerve ending was screaming at him to just leave it the fuck alone.

"Fuck...just my luck. I run and end up with a busted ankle-OW-...at least I'm not trapped letting dirty fuckers have their way with me." -heavy sigh- "I just wish I could get the fuck out of this town and never come back...Maybe go to Italy or Jerusalem..." he mused aloud, body leaning into the cold brick wall behind him and eyes glowing a warm honey color as they looked up at the early morning sky. A distant siren snapped him out of his daydream, his eyes wild as he spun around and quickly surveyed his surroundings; no bouncers or guards in sight, no one other than himself.

"I've gotta move...It won't be long before they figure out I'm gone, and I do NOT wanna be around when that happens." he muttered, limping away from the sirens. Desmond limped for several hours, taking several side streets and alleys, making sure NO ONE would be able to follow him.

He began looking for either a means of transportation or a place to crash and, like a grace from god, he found it sitting outside of a rundown tavern; a beautiful 2009 r1 series black Yamaha motorcycle, gleaming in the sunlight like a polished onyx. Biting down his immense excitement at seeing such a glorious sight, he quickly checked the ignition for any keys; miraculously, there they were, chilling in the slot.

"Oh my...looks like god finally decided to smile down on me. Feel kinda bad for the person I'm jacking this from, but oh well. Their loss, my gain!" he chirped happily, settling into the seat and sighing at the loss of pressure on his left ankle. Turning the key, he frowned when it sputtered and died; he tried again and again, but it didn't do any better and the panic was beginning to bubble up inside his chest.

"Oh come on...come on, I need to go...Turn on, dammit!" he muttered, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Then he heard voices coming from the tavern, and his blood froze in his veins; they were heading straight towards him. Desmond tried to ignite the bike once more before he was grabbed by the hood and thrown from the seat.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing with my bike punk?"

He scrambled to his feet, well foot, as best he could without injuring himself further, and spun a quick lie about how'd he thought it had been his bike. They didn't buy it.

"Bullshit! You were trying to jack my bike, you dirty bastard!" the guy shouted, grabbing Desmond by the collar and pulling him close.

"N-no! You don't understand! I wasn't trying-"

"SHUT UP!" the man said, releasing a torrent of rancid breath laced with the smell of heavy liquor. Desmond gagged, trying to turn his head away from the foul stench but to no success. He struggled against the man's grip,

"Look, I didn't mean it! Just let me go! I'm sorry!" Desmond pleaded, but the man just gripped him tighter.

"Oh, you're gonna be sorry! I'm gonna teach you a lesson you'll never forget, fucker!" He laughed maniacally as he grabbed Desmond by the throat and dragged the struggling male to an alley that was well hidden by the tavern walls, his friends snickering behind them. Tears gathered in his eyes as he clawed at the strong grip around his windpipe;

_OH GOD...No, this can't be happening...please don't let this be happening...God, if you can hear me, please...just please HELP ME...!_

_FUCK! Where is he?...Goddammit, if someone even touches him, they're fucking DEAD!_

The thought surprised Alex; why was he this _possessive _over some one he barely even knew? It was...strange, to say the least. He had some emotions he hadn't experienced in so long he barely registered them. He shook his head; he didn't have time to think, he needed to find him.

Alex bounded thru the Vegas streets, police sirens blaring in the distance behind him. The last thing he remembered before he lost sight of Desmond was jumping too far to get to the next building on his path, then landing in the middle of the street right in front of a cop car and basically destroying it. Fortunately, the cops inside were unharmed; unfortunately, so was the radio and the moment they snapped out of their surprise they called for backup. He had run at full speed, avoiding the incoming police and sidestepping into a alleys to shake them.

When they finally lost him, Alex was on the opposite side of the city where he'd left Desmond. Now all he could think about was how if he didn't hurry the fuck up and find him, something horrible was gonna happen to him. He had this strong feeling burning in his gut; he didn't know what it was, but something told him it wasn't good.

He didn't know just how right he was.

_There is no God...And if there is one, it doesn't give a flying fuck about me...no one does..._

He struggled as much as he could; throwing punches and kicks but nothing seemed to put them off. No matter what he had learned at The Farm or what was whispered in the back of his head, everything seemed to just bounce right off. The leader of the 3 threw him down and punched him, resulting in a gush of blood from the broken cartilage in his nose. Desmond gasped, crying out in pain.

The men continued, throwing him to the floor and kicking him, he could almost hear the snap of bones as his ribs broke. Then they punched his face until his left eye was swollen, his lip was split and his right cheek was throbbing; he was now completely compliant. But that wasn't the worst part.

"You little bitch! You thought you could steal from me? Not on your life!" he shouted, signaling his buddies to remove their belts. Desmond eyes widened,

"W-what are you-" he began but was promply slapped back into silence with a hiss. They continued, undoing their pants and taking out their flacid cocks; the leader then grabing Desmond by the hair and forcing him into a kneeling position. The golden-eyed man cried out in pain; he felt new tears running down his cheeks as he swallowed thickly,

_No...nonono, please for the love of everything that's holy, no...please...not here, not now...Whywhywhy? Why always me?...why?_

He couldn't understand how everyone enjoyed torturing him, just outright hurting him for no reason at all, just for the sake of amusing themselves. What made him so goddamn special?

"It's time for your _next_ lesson, you dirty fuck!" the leader shouted, the three of them crowding around the defenseless young man, hungry smiles on their faces. Desmond almost gagged from the intense nausea he was feeling; he couldn't do it, he just couldn't stomach it.

"Please, don't make me do this, please...just let me go...!" he pleaded, earning another hard smack to the face.

"You'd rather I take you right now?" the leader asked, his dick twitching at the words. Desmond shuddered in fear and disgust,

"NO!...No, I-I'll do it, just don't..."

"Good. Now SUCK. And don't forget my friends here, they need some relief too..." he said, rubbing his now erect member against Desmond's cheek, staining it with small amounts of pre-cum. He took a tentative lick at the dick infront of him, cringing at the bitter and foul taste of it; slowly he took more of it in his mouth, trying hard not to gag in his disgust. He then began stroking the other men with his hands, quickly falling into a steady rhythm as his body went into auto-pilot.

Desmond mentally kicked himself for knowing how to do this so well; he should have never learned this shit in the first place but it was hard i_not_/i to memorize it when it happened every day. He knew every sensitive spot, how to suck just the right way; hell, he knew more than most of the girls back at the club. And he hated himself for knowing so too, for taking such a sick pride in it. It disgusted him that he felt that way about something that he never wanted to do, never asked to know. He just wanted to disappear and never be found again, never feel like this again.

And by the looks of these guys, it seemed that was _exactly_ where this was going.

The men above him moaned and groaned as Desmond continued to silently cry, his thoughts only on a quick end after their eventual release. He ignored the pain that came from everywhere; his side was screaming, his ankle and face too. He didn't know how much more he could take. Then suddenly the man that was currently balls deep in his throat gripped him by the hair roughly and thrusted forward violently, choking him as the thick shaft pistoned mercylessly into his windpipe.

"Mmnf!"

"Yeah bitch...you like it rough don't ya? Take it!" he muttered between moans as he continued to shove his thick shaft into Desmond's quickly closing windpipe. The others in his group watched as Desmond tried desperately to shove his assailant back, pumping their own cocks since the hands that had serviced them were now clawing at their leader's hips.

Golden eyes began to darken as more air was deprived, slowly rolling back as arms hung limply at his sides; Desmond was dying, he could feel it. There was a cold darkness enveloping him like a blanket, slowly dragging him into Death's eternal embrace; he welcomed the feeling with open arms. He _wanted_ to die; to never again be humiliated and violated by men that only cared about themselves. The only thing he would regret was not being able to take that bastard Vidic with him; they could have shared the pain in the pits of hell.

Just as his mind fell into the shadows, the obstruction was removed and Desmond instictively took a deep, shuddering breath. He coughed and sputtered, doubling over in a fit as he continued to fill his lungs with air. But then once again he was taken by the hair and yanked back up to face the man; mouth open and eyes closed as he tried to regain his lost breath.

"Yeah, that's right...You want my cum you greedy slut? Here!" the man shuddered as he emptied his load onto Desmond's face and hair, followed by his two buddies. They just laughed as he fell to the dirty, concrete of the alley floor; covered in their sticky, foul-smelling cum. Their laughter reached him even thru the fog of his oxygen deprived mind, but Desmond didn't care anymore; he was crying harder now because he was denied death.

_Why couldn't they have just ended my miserable life? Why didn't they just let me die? I wanted it and they took it away! Stupid motherfucking __**FUCKS**__!_

The men snickered as they took the now filthy Desmond and roughly shoved his face into the ground, a small whine of discomfort the only indication that he was still conscious. His ass was propped up, legs spread wide to provide easy access; Desmond didn't notice. But the sudden breeze he felt against bare skin brought him back to the present; the men had pulled down his pants, underwear and all.

_NO! Noooo! They said they wouldn't...!..Somebody, anybody...please! STOP THEM!_

Something suddenly crashed in the alley behind them; Desmond couldn't tell what it was, but he hoped it was an answer to his prayers.

"HEY! WHAT THE _FUCK_ DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" a low gravely voice shouted, rage dripping from every word like venom off a knife.

Alex finally found him; but now he knew what that wierd gut feeling he had was. Crashing into the alley, all he saw was Desmond; face shoved into the concrete, ass in the air with his pants pooled around his knees and some guys on top of him, then his vision went red.

"GET THE FUCK OFF HIM! NOW!" he heard himself shout, then he was in front of the first man; hand embeded deeply in his chest, fingers wrapping around a still beating heart. He looked in the man's eyes before he squeezed, seeing the life drain out of him brought him a sick pleasure he hadn't felt in long time and he smiled coldly. Removing his hand, he marveled at the blood that slicked his palm; all the while the last two men freaked out. One of them decided it would be a good idea to try and fight back. Laughable.

Alex easily grabbed him by the neck and danggled him inches off the ground, the man sputtering as the virus looked at him with cold blue eyes,

"You _really_ believed that you'd get away with this?" he said emotionless, his grip tightening around the man's neck. The last of the men tried to run, but a tendril shot like a missile from Alex's back, spearing the runner thru the side of the head, stilling his movements almost immediately and leaving him hanging limply from the spike like fruit from a branch.

Flicking him off, the spike retracted just enough to hover in front of the last man's left eye. Alex looked at him for a moment, then plunged the tendril into the man's head, flicking his wrist and snapping his neck for good measure. Throwing the corpse aside, he shuddered as the tendril disappeared into his back; he shouldn't have done any of that.

_Shit. I got carried away...now they're gonna know I'm here...But they deserved it, all of it, maybe even worse for doing this to him..._

Wiping the red off his hand, Alex quickly walked over to Desmond who was now lying on his side, weezing weakly. He kneeled next to him, hands grabbing his pants and swiftly tugging them back to rest on his slender waist before gently rolling him onto his back. A pained moan warned him of some discomfort on the other man's part; other than the obvious damage to his face. Craddling the other's head in his arm, Alex softly shook him,

"Hey. What did they do to you? Did they rape you?" he asked, anger gathering like stormclouds in his gut. The man in his grasp didn't answer, golden eyes hazy and unfocused.

Desmond's breathing was labored as he looked thru his cum-speckled eyelashes, the person before him too blurry to identify. Wait...those eyes. He remembered those icy blue eyes...

"Y-you...?" he managed to weeze before unconsciousness took him, his body going limp in Alex's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Carefully lifting the uncounscious man into his arms, Alex quickly made his way away from the carnage and blood that was the back alley. He decided it would be a bad idea to take to the rooftops; the constant jossoling could injure the other further. Instead, he choose to run the whole way back to his hideout; taking side streets and avoiding the main roads, just in case someone had called the police. Again. Walking thru the side door of the warehouse, he locked it behind him with a tendril turning the key.

Growling low in his throat, he slowly made his way up the stairs inside the warehouse, finally reaching the last landing with a grunt; it felt like the man in his arms was quickly becoming heavier with every step. He was loosing his strength...he should have consumed those men when he had the chance. Now his body was fighting him...urging him to kill, to consume i_everything_/i. He grit his teeth as he willed the thoughts away, he would find someone to consume later. Kicking the door to his makeshift room open, he panted as sweat dripped down his face.

i_Dammit. What the hell is wrong with me...I shouldn't be this drained from doing those guys in. Were the guys yesterday not enough?...shit._/i

Alex carefully placed the broken form on the lone matress, the springs squeaking faintly under the weight. He could hear the noise from outside drifting in from the open window in the opposite room; the sounds of traffic distant as he focused on the man before him. The wounds didn't look as bad as they had seemed at first, but then again, things weren't always what they seemed. Wipping the sweat off his brow, he gently removed Desmond's soiled hoody and shirt; whistling as yellowish colored bruises came into view, a few the size of his out-streatched hand and spanning the length of his ribs.

"Holy...What the fuck did they do to you?" he muttered to himself as he dragged his fingers over them, checking for broken bones. He found two broken ribs, but no punctured lungs, so no need to go to a hospital; not that they could anyways. Continuing down the other's body, Alex checked his legs and tensed as a strangled moan escaped Desmond's throat when he put pressure on his left ankle. Rolling up the jeans, he realized that it was an angry shade of purple and swollen to about twice its normal size; but it wasn't broken, so that meant a sprained tendon. It was gonna hurt for a while.

Now to clean the cum off his face and hair, it really stunk.

i_...not enough fruit in their diet...That wasn't my memory, was it?/i_ Alex cringed, shaking the strange thoughts from his mind.

Walking into the bathroom-actually just a small closet with a busted toilet and barely working sink that was right there in the room-he grabbed the slightly worn first-aid kit that hung near the door, a small bowl of water and a clean rag, then walked back to the sleeping male.

Dipping the rag into the water, he rung it out and was about to wipe when he hesitated, inches away from chestnut hair. He scowled,

i_Why am I hesitating? I don't hesitate. This guy...what is he doing to me?/i_

He dragged his free hand thru the dark curls of his hair and took a deep breath, then got to wipping the other clean-well, as clean as he could. He sat on the bed, hand carefully wipping the sticky fluid from the brown strands; eyes narrowing with irritation every so often when he encountered dry patches.

Even with his constant sour look, his fingers moved about with shocking gentleness; so much so that he could run his digits over the other's skin without causing any disturbance. Brushing a few stray strands from that smooth tanned forehead, Alex dipped the rag in the bowl once again, letting out a deep breath as he stood. Washing out the diluted water, he rung out the rag and dipped it in the now fresh liquid and returned to his post on the side of the bed. He dabbed at the cut on the other's swollen lips, taking care not to agitate the wound further.

i_That's gonna scar...though I doubt it would make him look bad.../i_

A smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, Alex cleaned the cuts; blood, cum and dirt cleaned off before he applied some antibiotic from the first aid kit. Taking out a roll of bandages, he slowly bound the large lump that was once the younger man's ankle, careful not to cause too much discomfort. He did the same to his bruised and broken torso before finally getting up and admiring his work.

Throwing the rag and bowl into the sink, he pulled a somewhat ratty sheet he had aquired a while back on to the sleeping man; tucking him in and slouching against the wall, eyes closing slowly. Sinking to the floor, he stretched out before slowly passing out. His body was lacking in biomass, he'll have to go and consume soon. But for now, he'd sleep for a bit.

i_It's not like people will be missed around here anyways.../i_

His body ached, like he'd been thrown from a third story window; everything seemed to hurt. His mind was a dark vortex of fragmented memories and faces; everything was morphing into one big, horrifying nightmare. He felt his skin prickle in terror as men surrounded him, faces mere shadows as he was engulfed in unholy black flames...

Desmond bolted awake, cold sweat dripping off his brow as his fingers dug into the matress beneath him like his life depended on it. He gulped down lungfulls of air until his chest was burning and his head was light; why had that been so terrifying? He looked about with blurry eyes; where was he? Had he wandered into some abandoned house or something?

As he shifted, he felt a sharp pain surge from his side; he doubled over as he gripped at his ribs. Looking down, he realized that he was naked from the waist up, covered in gause and bandages. For a moment, he couldn't remember anything until the memories of what happened hit him like a ton of bricks.

_iI was...gangraped...again...FUCK why can't this shit happen to somebody else? Why couldn't they have just left me alone?/i _he hung his head as frustrated tears crawled down his cheeks; why hadn't they killed him? They could have easily just sufficated him...and he'd be free of this miserable existance.

He went on like that for a few moments before he was reminded of what he had seen right before he passed out. He remembered ice blue eyes looking at him, and a deep voice asking him something...he couldn't quite grasp what though. Wipping his eyes with the back of his hand, he took another look around. The shabby looking apartment was empty; he noticed a small closet that seemed to serve as a restroom and two closed doors that he only guessed led elsewhere. Slowly climbing off the matress, he tried to stand.

He instanly regreted it, collapsing to his knees as his head spun from bouts of nausea that tighed around his stomach. He gagged, feeling the bile rush up his throat and threaten to spill out. Quickly crawling to the closet, he emptied the contents of his stomach into the rusty sink. Bitter stomach acid and cum covered his tongue as he purged the liquids from his system until nothing was left, dry heaving for a few minutes after just from the remaining taste.

Soon, the strength seeped out of his arms and he slid to the floor, small rivets of bile dripping down his chin and tears stinging at his eyes as he breathed deeply as he recovered. A shiver of pain ran down Desmond's spine, urging him to move and keep his body rigid so his ribs wouldn't hurt so bad; he figured that those guys had left him with broken ribs, not that he hadn't expected worse. Now that he thought about it, he'd gotten much worse back at the club; Vidic would use a variety of tools to punish him, and only him. It made him think that he was the old man's favorite toy; how he'd beat and torture him, it made his stomach turn...again.

Wipping away the remnants of the episode off his chin; he slowly got to his feet, leaning heavily on the walls as he made his way toward one of the closed doors. He wanted out, he didn't trust this place; as a matter of fact, he didn't trust any place or anyone from this state, for good reason seeing his past luck. After a long time, he finally reached the door; turning the knob and stumbling thru the doorway, he limped unsteadily down the corridor, his vision blurry from lack of energy. As he focused on moving, he didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming towards him.

Alex had woken from his near catatonic sleep only a few hours later; at least he thought so, the sun had gone down a bit since he'd fallen asleep, so he guessed it was late. He quickly checked Desmond over again, noticing the multitude of scars that covered the younger man's body now that he wasn't in a hurry; he even found two or three of them on his wrists, and that made him a bit apprehensive about leaving him alone. He also noticed a tattoo near the other's hip; he felt bad for tugging his jeans down a few inches, but he was curious.

Looking closely, he could see that it was a small number '17' on the curve of the bone; Alex was speechless,

_iThey branded him? What kind of people do that?...But, where else did they mark him, I wonder...?/i_

Curiousity got the better of him once again as he rolled Desmond onto his side, careful not to agitate his ribs, and searched his back. He was drawn to the younger man's left shoulder; he recognized the symbol as the logo that had shown in neon atop the club's entrance, and he felt a new level of disgust toward the people that had done this to Desmond...HIS Desmond.

A smirk grew on his face, he rather like the sound of that; though he doubted that the other would agree with it. Maybe after they got to know each other better...? No. He would be his in thought only; he was sure that if the other knew what he really was, he'd hate him, call him a monster. It wouldn't be the first time. Plus, Desmond had gone thru enough shit already, he was pretty sure he didn't want anything to do with him, or anyone for that matter.

Alex's face returned to its usual scowl as he set Desmond back down carefully; pulling his jeans up to hide the number before leaving the room. As he made his way down the stairs, he formulated how he would get supplies without leading any unwanted guests back here; he sure as hell wasn't gonna take to the rooftops again, the cops would be searching them and he was pretty sure they'd already found his handywork.

So he did the next best thing; using the last of his stored up biomass, he shifted his form into that of a woman that resembled his sister; who would suspect a skinny and short girl of anything? He tried to compress his clothing to make them fit his new form, but was irritated to find he couldn't; so he decided to not give a fuck. Let people think what they wanted, not like he really cared.

Alex walked to the nearest ATM machine and withdrew money from one of the many accounts he remembered from the Outbreak; he never knew who could be watching, and he didn't have the time to be chased all over the city by the police or Blackwatch. Taking the small bundle of bills and stuffing them in his jacket pocket, he walked to the closest grocery store, ignoring the odd looks he received from the locals and tourists.

He picked up some bottled water, bandages, anticeptic mouthwash, painkillers, dry food, cereal, a small cooler, milk, and some ice packs; anything that he thought the other would want or need, along with a new t-shirt and a portable radio with batteries. Paying for all the items, he ignored the clerk trying to flirt with him and quickly made his way to one of the many bars that seemed to be near by. Finding a secluded alley, he placed the groceries behind a dumpster and decided how to lure drunkards for him to consume.

Taking off his sleeveless jacket, he draped it over the bags and proceeded to rip his jeans short (since he didn't have enough biomass to shorten them), remove his white hoody and wrap it around his wide hips, then unbuttoned his shirt and exposed his rather large breasts. It took less than 5 minutes for the drunks to notice him; he lured at least 4 of them into the alley, and consumed them quickly. Nothing was left but a few puddles of blood as he shifted back to his original form, refreshed and restored.

Alex smirked at the stupidity of man, then grabbed his jacket and bags, and made his way back to the warehouse. His thoughts wondered to how Desmond would react to waking up with him in the room as he made his way up the stairs. He was surprised when something, or rather someone, bumped into him and fell to the ground.

Well, that answered his question.

Before he knew it, Desmond was on his ass again, looking up blearily at the man that towered over him while holding his side; he was surprised to see concered blue eyes on him, pale face partially hidden under the cowl of a white hoody, and hands gripping bags of what he could only guess were groceries.

"...What are you doing?" the hooded man asked, setting down his bags and kneeling in front of him; the scowl softening on his pale features. The younger man just stared at him, ignoring the pain in his body as he was entranced by those blue eyes; so this was the man that saved him. He tried to speak, but nothing came out; his mouth was dry as a desert and his tongue felt like lead.

"What's wrong? You alright?" the other asked; Desmond cleared his throat weakly, finally finding his voice,

"Wh-what do you...th-think?" he whispered, his voice horse and raspy; his throat was so raw that it hurt to speak, but he had questions. Desmond attempted to stand, only to find his legs were like jelly and the pain nagging at him again; those men had done a number on him alright. He grunted in frustration, he didn't like being so useless and dependent; it made him feel like an easy target.

He felt a strong hand grab him by the arm suddenly; he instictively wretched his arm away and protected his face with it, he was expecting some sort of physical violence. When he didn't feel a blow, he peeked past his arms; he was met with a look of surprise and curiosity that made his cheeks burn. Desmond looked away, his cheeks and ears gaining a light pink color as he tried to explain himself.

"S-sorry, reflex. I'm n-not used to...pacifism." he muttered, before coughing rather nastily and hissing as his throat stung. The other smirked a bit before reaching into one of the bags and taking out a bottle of water,

"Believe me, I'm not a pacifist. If we were under different circumstances, somebody would be on the ground; beaten and bloody. Though I think you already fill that requirement." he said, his eyes seeming to glow under his white hood as he handed over the bottle. Desmond eyed it wearily for a moment before taking it; opening it, he took a cautious sip before deaming it safe, then downed the contents hurriedly. The lukewarm water was refreshing; it soothed his throat and removed the vile taste that seemed to linger on his tongue, he never knew how great something so simple could feel until now.

"...Huh. You didn't seem like the type, anyways. So, why are you not hitting me then? Are you saving that for later or what?" he asked, quirking a brow as his honey eyes looked at the other with disdain. The other man's face became a mask, devoid of all emotion as he grabbed the bags in one hand and helped the other to his feet with the other.

"I'm not gonna hit you. Why would I? You asked me for help remember? Anyways...let me ask you, why so defensive?" he said, leading them back into the bedroom. He slowly lowered Desmond onto the matress before throwing the bags next to him. He leaned against the wall opposite him and waited for the other to respond, his eyes hidden underneath his hood. Desmond sighed,

"So you actually want to help me? Huh...I'd actually like to know your name before I spill my guts, yeah? Considering you already know mine..." Desmond said, adjusting himself on the matress before looking thru the bags. He pulled out another water bottle and the bottle of painkillers; taking two pills, he downed them with the water. The other looked on, an amused smirk visible under his hood,

"Alex Mercer."

"Ah, Alex...erm...How to start? Hmm, well most times I'm grabbed like that I expect to get slapped...or worse. Maybe even forced into giving head or bending over, depending on who wants what. Most likely, I'll be doing one of those later, right? Or are you going to keep to the 'I'm here to help' shtick until I'm convinced and then rape me in a surprise attack? Nobody does anything for free. You, I expect, are no different." he said, followed by a bitter laugh as he layed back on the bed, giving Alex a glare filled with pain and sorrow.

"Is that really what you expect? From the person you _asked_ for help?" he asked, his eyes drifting to the other's face from under his hood; ok maybe that had been true at first, but now...he was starting to second guess himself. Desmond just laughed again, honey eyes hard,

"It wouldn't be the first time. But...the other's didn't have the same, I don't know, _vibe_ as you do. You know? Aah, I don't know how to describe it, but I don't expect this to end differently." he said, his eyes drifting toward the wall. He wasn't gonna hold his breath; he knew what was going to happen. Either he'd be held down forcefully while the other ripped into him, or be beaten into a sloppy blowjob and then thrown out to the curb to be picked up by Vidic's men later. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other move toward him; he braced himself for the worst, he didn't want to lose his composure even if he was raped...at least for once.

Alex was surprised to hear the negativity in the other's voice; he really hadn't expected that, especially from a guy that looked starved and rather weak. Somehow he'd gotten it into his head that Desmond would be the damsel-in-distress type; he had not put into account a sharp-ass tongue or a horribly pessimistic attitude, those were not common in his life. He was usually the downer...and now, if Dana was here, he'd be the fucking life of the party compared to him. He chuckled as he sat at the foot of the bed,

"And here I'd pegged you as the helpless-type...but instead you're a pessimist."

"Helpless? The fuck did you get that? I'm no fucking princess, if that's what you mean. And, just so you know, a pessimist is what a optimist calls a realist." he said, turning back to face the man, a frown on his face. But behind his tough act, there was indeed a very helpless 16 year old boy trapped in this cage that was his miserable life, and wished, no prayed, that this would be his knight in shining armor, someone that wanted to save him. No matter how incredibly girly that sounded, it was the truth, even if the only one who knew it was himself...and maybe Lucy, but she'd never willingly tell anyone. So he just sat there, waiting for the other to say something.

Alex himself was contemplaiting what he would say next; the mood had gotten a bit heavy and he was sure the other really didn't want to talk, let alone be here. He wondered if this was really the right thing to do...Of course it was! He was being abused just like Greene had at GENTEK, but on a whole different scale.

Ah, hell. Fuck it.

"Well, isn't that a very bleak look at the world? And here I thought I was negative..." he said with a hesitant chuckle; he silently reached into one of the bags and took out a box of cheese crakers that he handed to Desmond before taking out the radio he'd bought earlier. Popping the back panel, he placed the batteries in and turned it on; the station stated the name of the coming song, then a slow guitar solo with drums started. Desmond opened the box, quickly scarfing down a handful, biting back a moan as he savored the cheesy flavor; how long has it been since he'd eaten?

"Thanks." he muttered thru a mouthful of crackers before he swallowed; then before he could stop himself,

"Why do you keep that hood up? Are you hidding something?" he blurted out, stopping mid-scarf as he realized the change - was that apprehension? - in the other's posture. Alex shook his head slowly,

"No. I can take it off if you want." he said, hands hesitantly pulling the hood down and Desmond's eyes went wide as the speakers emitted the vocals to the song.

_**You sit there in your heartache**_

_**Waiting on some beautiful boy to**_

_**save you from your old ways**_

_**You play forgiveness**_

_**Watch it now ... here he comes!**_

_**He doesn't look a thing like Jesus**_

_**But he talks like a gentleman**_

_**Like you imagined when you were young**_

Beautiful curly black hair was revealed, cut short but still long enought to frame a smooth forehead. His skin was pale like porcelain, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of ice blue. Desmond gaped,

_Holy fucking shit, this guy looks amazing! Wow, so this was what it felt like to get lucky? Jesus Christ He looks like...like he jumped out of a painting or something..._

Alex felt exposed without the hood; a bad habit he'd developed during the Outbreak to avoid detection, and now he could feel the other's eyes on him. He felt his cheeks burn a little; well, that's new. He frowned, hiding his obvious discomfort,

"Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face or what?" Desmond quickly closed his mouth and looked away, his cheeks a light pink as the other flipped the hoody back on his head.

"Nothing! Just...didn't expect that." he said, as a small smile spread on his lips, the song registering in his head; this is just too strange...but in a good way. He barely bit back a soft chuckle as the vocals continued,

_**Can we climb this mountain**_

_**I don't know**_

_**Higher now than ever before**_

_**I know we can make it if we take it slow**_

_**Let's take it easy**_

_**Easy now, watch it go**_

"What's so funny?" Alex asked, the smile on Desmond's face making his stomach flutter; it was really cute.

"Nothing...the song reminds me of someone, that's all." _'Me'_, he thought as he continued to eat, but not as ravenously as before. He slowly slipped his fingers from box to his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he continued to think and wonder about this man.

They stayed silent for the rest of the song; both just staring into their own little worlds. Though both didn't realize it at the moment, they shared the same small smile on their lips as both their chests seemed a bit lighter.

_**I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus**_

_**He doesn't look a thing like Jesus**_

_**But more than you'll ever know **_


End file.
